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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Doing laundry may be a chore, but for the people at Yellowknife's only laundromat last Sunday.

Nicolas Landry shows off the soap he's using at the laundromat on Old Airport Road. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

There's a candy machine, a TV, and the Arctic Laundromat in the Frame Lake Plaza on Old Airport Road may be the only place in Yellowknife that has both a public washroom and a pay phone.

"There's always a different mix of people," said patron John Williston. "Everyone's always got a story."

Indeed, on Sunday there was a crew of four people from New Brunswick who were working on a construction project in Behchoko, and living in town.

They are using the laundromat until they get their new home set up with a washer and dryer, and kept themselves entertained by watching the Masters golf game on TV.

Pierre Cormier, one of the group, had only one complaint - "They need a bigger TV screen."

Williston said he only goes to the laundromat about twice a year.

"They've got big washers here where we can do quilts and stuff that won't fit into our washer back home, so for spring cleaning we bring our stuff and throw it in."

Williston, however, did have a quilt stolen during one of these trips, and since then does not leave the laundry unattended for too long - though he said he does still run off and do other things during the wait.

Another patron, Vonny Madore, who lives at Prelude Lake, said she has never had an item stolen, though she has run into other problems. One time she had her tires slashed while she was inside waiting for her laundry.

Still, she said using the laundromat is more convenient than getting machines set up at home, despite the long drive into town.